26 July 2009

... surface lots do not allow for the building of congenial places. ... "Parking spaces in the city are like dark matter in the universe: we tend not to see them, but somehow they add up to an enormous area that deadens the environment."...What dealing with parking usually means are expenditures at heroic levels to hide the parking. Although the numbers vary, a typical amount needed to build an underground parking space is $40,000. Amortize that over 30 years at 6 percent interest, and the capital cost alone is $240 per month. Few Americans outside of New York City and a few other places expect (consciously) to pay that much to house their car (although they may do so unconsciously, in the increased cost of housing).-Frank Gruber at Huffpost

3 comments:

Why is it always assumed the car has to be parked directly underneath you, or in a space somehow attached to your residence, to be safe? Are people really that lazy or scared they won't walk a few blocks to a parking garage? It seems a terrific waste of resources to put a garage under every new building.